I get your point, but I never agreed with the theory you can't help someone or instill knowledge in them just because you're going through your own problems that are equal to or worse than the person you're trying to help. I know people who would be considered "fukk ups" that have actually gave me wisdom or guided me to do/not to do something that helped my life tremendously.
100%. But see, them dudes actually helped you...can't argue results. For whatever reason you were receptive to them. Probably because you already had a high level of respect for them, I'm assuming they were older? Some of the greatest life lessons I've ever received were from career criminals who were older than me, I respected them as my old heads and I knew they knew what they were talking about, so I was receptive..
Irv, admittedly, didn't help X...and part of the reason why may have been due to X looking at him like "Dog, you're high right now telling me to stop getting high?" and dismissing it. Aint no real advisory respect there like that...to quote dikk Gregory, "You not qualified"
Jewels are jewels, regardless of who drops them, but I can understand why a fat person/lazy person/drug abuser/ may not welcome the advice of another fat person/lazy person/ drug abuser about why they should stop being a fat person/lazy person/drug abuser...especially one younger/their age.